Legislative Consensus Process

Establishing a functional legislative consensus process represents a structurally significant aspect of our Epoch 2 implementation, potentially through ORPols—an adaptation of optimistic governance mechanisms for legislative functions. This process will feature a two-stage voting approach with an initial approval phase followed by a veto period, balancing efficient decision-making with democratic safeguards. The implementation will include technical development of the process on Snapshot, establishing appropriate timing parameters for voting cycles, and creating notification systems to ensure community awareness of proposals. This element will be phased in after sufficient respect accumulation in the new epoch, providing time for thoughtful development and community understanding of the process.

Important Note

Note: This document is in a very early draft state and may contain many errors. It will be reviewed and updated soon.

Key Links:

Tabs Folder with Details about Options

ORPolls Draft Specification Document

Legislative Consensus Process: Engineering Democratic Coordination

Introduction: The Architecture of Collective Decision-Making

The establishment of a functional legislative consensus process represents perhaps the most structurally significant aspect of our Epoch 2 implementation. This process creates the formal mechanisms through which the Eden Fractal community makes collective decisions, expressing consensus while maintaining democratic principles. It serves as the bridge between individual perspectives and community action, translating deliberation into direction.

Through extensive discussions, particularly in our community dialogue during Event #118 and in outside conversations with Tadas, we've identified ORPolls (Optimistic Respect-based Polls) as a promising approach that balances efficiency with democratic safeguards. This innovative adaptation of optimistic governance principles creates a system that addresses common challenges in decentralized decision-making while maintaining genuine community control.

This article outlines our approach to implementing this critical governance element, including its conceptual foundations, technical specifications, and integration with our broader governance ecosystem. Rather than presenting final determinations, it offers a framework for the collaborative development of our consensus process as we progress through Epoch 2.

Table of Contents

• Legislative Consensus Process
• Important Note
• Legislative Consensus Process: Engineering Democratic Coordination
• Introduction: The Architecture of Collective Decision-Making
• Conceptual Foundations: The Evolution of ORPolls
• How ORPolls Works: A Two-Stage Governance Mechanism
• Technical Implementation: Snapshot Integration and Workflow
• Relationship to ORDAO: Complementary Governance Functions
• Bootstrap Strategy: Phased Implementation
• Personal Perspective: Democratic Efficiency
• Technical Details and Considerations
• Key Considerations and Open Questions
• Conclusion: Building Democratic Infrastructure

Conceptual Foundations: The Evolution of ORPolls

ORPolls emerged from the broader exploration of optimistic governance mechanisms, particularly drawing inspiration from the Optimistic Respect-based Executive Contract (OREC) that powers ORDAO. The concept was initially developed during early discussions about Optimism Fractal's governance design, where we were seeking to balance efficient decision-making with democratic principles.

The fundamental insight behind ORPolls is that many governance systems face a challenging dilemma: high participation requirements often lead to governance paralysis, while low participation requirements risk capture by small groups. ORPols addresses this through an optimistic approach that enables efficient action for non-controversial decisions while maintaining strong safeguards against contentious proposals.

The development of ORPolls has been an iterative process. Dan initially proposed the concept, which was then refined through detailed specifications developed by Tadas. The idea was reintroduced during Event #118, where it emerged as a promising synthesis of previous approaches, potentially combining the best aspects of both the Eden Plus Fractal process and the Optimism Fractal Council model.

At its core, ORPolls draws inspiration from sociocratic principles, shifting from consensus-based to consent-based decision-making. This subtle but powerful shift focuses not on achieving universal agreement (which often proves impractical) but on ensuring the absence of substantiated objections—allowing progress while maintaining protection against harmful decisions.

How ORPolls Works: A Two-Stage Governance Mechanism

The ORPolls process implements a two-stage approach to community decision-making:

Voting Stage:

• A proposal is submitted and enters the voting stage for a predetermined period (potentially one week)
• Community members vote using their respect tokens to signal support or opposition
• If more than two-thirds of voting stake supports the proposal (voting "yes" rather than "no"), it advances to the veto stage
• This threshold ensures proposals have substantial support before proceeding

Veto Stage:

• The proposal enters a veto period (also potentially one week) during which only "no" votes are accepted
• If the proposal receives objections totaling more than one-third of the "yes" votes from the voting stage, it is rejected
• Otherwise, it is considered approved and proceeds to implementation
• This mechanism creates strong protection against controversial proposals while allowing efficient processing of broadly supported initiatives

This structure creates several important benefits:

Efficiency with Safeguards: Routine proposals can move forward without requiring high participation thresholds, while maintaining protection against controversial decisions.

Deliberative Integration: The two-stage process creates natural integration points with Eden Town Hall discussions, allowing community deliberation before the voting stage and during the veto period.

Balanced Participation: The approach acknowledges that not all community members can participate in every decision, while ensuring significant opposition can still block harmful proposals.

Transparent Timeframes: By establishing clear voting and veto periods, the process creates predictable governance rhythms that community members can plan around.

The implementation of ORPols represents a significant evolution from previous consensus mechanisms. Unlike the Eden Plus Fractal process, it doesn't require synchronous decision-making during events. Unlike the Optimism Fractal Council model, it includes a dedicated veto period that helps prevent decisions from passing without sufficient community awareness.

Technical Implementation: Snapshot Integration and Workflow

The implementation of ORPols will leverage Snapshot as the primary voting platform, at least initially. This approach builds on established infrastructure while providing the necessary flexibility for our two-stage process:

Poll Configuration:

• Each proposal will require two separate Snapshot polls: one for the voting stage and one for the veto stage
• The voting stage poll will allow both "yes" and "no" votes, weighted by respect tokens
• The veto stage poll will only allow "no" votes, providing a focused mechanism for objections
• Both polls will be clearly labeled and linked to maintain the connection between stages

Timing Parameters:

• The voting stage will last for a predetermined period (initially proposed as one week)
• Upon completion of the voting stage, proposals that reach the two-thirds threshold automatically enter the veto stage
• The veto stage will also last for a predetermined period (also initially proposed as one week)
• These durations create a predictable two-week cycle for proposal consideration

Threshold Calculations:

• The voting stage requires more than two-thirds of all voting stake to vote "yes" (as opposed to "no")
• The veto stage threshold is calculated as one-third of the total "yes" votes from the voting stage
• If "no" votes in the veto stage exceed this threshold, the proposal is rejected
• Otherwise, the proposal is considered approved after the veto period concludes

Notification Systems:

• Establishing robust notification systems will be critical for ensuring community awareness
• Proposals entering the voting stage will be announced in community channels
• Proposals advancing to the veto stage will receive particular attention to ensure awareness
• We'll explore integration with multiple communication channels (potentially including Telegram and Discord) to maximize visibility

These technical specifications draw inspiration from the OREC implementation while adapting the approach for legislative rather than executive functions. The details may evolve as we gain practical experience with the system, with parameter adjustments made through community governance decisions.

Relationship to ORDAO: Complementary Governance Functions

ORPols and ORDAO serve complementary functions within our governance ecosystem:

ORDAO (Executive Function):

• Handles on-chain execution of community decisions
• Works with smart contracts to implement actions
• Provides verifiable, transparent record of governance activities
• Creates the technical foundation for community control of shared resources

ORPols (Legislative Function):

• Establishes the process for determining community decisions
• Creates the mechanism for proposal consideration and approval
• Translates community perspectives into formal direction
• Provides the framework for deliberative governance

During the bootstrap phase of Epoch 2, ORDAO will potentially serve as both the executive and legislative mechanism, providing a transitional governance solution until the ORPols process is fully implemented. This approach acknowledges the need for governance continuity while we develop and deploy the full ORPols implementation.

Once both systems are operational, they will work together in a bicameral structure—with ORPols handling proposal consideration and approval, and ORDAO handling execution of approved decisions. This creates a balanced governance system with appropriate specialization of functions.

Bootstrap Strategy: Phased Implementation

The implementation of ORPols will follow a carefully phased approach that acknowledges both technical development needs and the importance of respect accumulation in the new epoch:

Initial Governance (Launch through mid-season):

• During this period, ORDAO will serve as the primary governance mechanism, potentially handling both executive and legislative functions
• This leverages the respect distribution from Eden Fractal's first 75 weeks, ensuring governance continuity
• The approach provides time for technical development of the ORPols system while maintaining decision-making capability
• This period also allows for the accumulation of new respect through weekly games, building the foundation for the new legislative process

ORPols Development (Ongoing through mid-season):

• Technical development of the ORPols system will proceed in parallel with initial governance
• This includes Snapshot configuration, notification systems, documentation, and community education
• Regular updates will be provided to the community, with opportunities for feedback and refinement
• As the system nears completion, we'll conduct testing to ensure functionality before full deployment

Transition to ORPols (Mid-season, approximately September 2024):

• After sufficient respect accumulation (approximately 12 events or 6 weeks of gameplay), we'll transition to the full ORPols implementation
• This transition will be approved through the existing governance process (likely ORDAO)
• The transition will include comprehensive community education about the new process
• Initial proposals will be closely monitored to ensure the system functions as intended

This phased approach serves multiple purposes. It ensures governance continuity during the development phase, allows time for respect accumulation that reflects active participation in the new epoch, and provides opportunities for refinement based on community feedback before full implementation.

Personal Perspective: Democratic Efficiency

I believe the ORPols approach represents a significant advancement in our governance toolkit. Through years of experimentation with different consensus mechanisms, I've observed both the challenges and opportunities in community governance. Many systems either sacrifice efficiency for democratic principles or sacrifice democratic principles for efficiency. ORPols offers a promising balance by creating efficient pathways for non-controversial decisions while maintaining strong protections against contentious actions.

The timing mechanism is particularly valuable, as it creates predictable governance rhythms that can integrate with our broader community activities. By aligning ORPols voting periods with our bi-weekly events, we create natural opportunities for proposal discussion in Eden Town Hall, followed by voting and veto periods that conclude before the next community gathering. This integration of deliberative spaces and formal decision mechanisms strengthens both elements.

I see ORPols potentially serving as a model for other communities seeking to implement democratic governance without the paralysis that often accompanies high threshold requirements. By focusing on consent rather than consensus, we acknowledge that not all community members can participate in every decision while ensuring that significant opposition can still prevent harmful proposals.

The bootstrap phase represents a thoughtful transition rather than an abrupt shift. By using ORDAO as our initial governance mechanism, we leverage the accumulated wisdom and reputation from Eden Fractal's first epoch while creating space for new participants to contribute and build reputation in the new system.

Technical Details and Considerations

The successful implementation of ORPols requires attention to several technical details:

Snapshot Configuration:

• Detailed configuration of both voting and veto polls
• Establishment of clear templates for proposal submission
• Integration with respect token holdings for vote weighting
• Development of appropriate user interfaces for participation

Notification System:

• Currently, Optimism Fractal uses Discord for ORDAO notifications
• For Eden Fractal, we might explore Telegram integration or creation of a dedicated Discord
• The ideal solution would notify community members about both new proposals and transitions from voting to veto stages
• This system should be accessible to all community members while avoiding notification fatigue

Parameter Optimization:

• Initial parameters (two-thirds threshold, one-week periods) represent starting points rather than final determinations
• We'll need to monitor actual usage patterns and adjust as needed
• The community can refine these parameters through its own governance processes once established
• Finding the right balance will require practical experience with the system

Documentation and Education:

• Creating clear documentation about the process for all community members
• Developing guides for proposal submission and consideration
• Establishing educational resources that explain the rationale behind the approach
• Ensuring new participants can easily understand and engage with the governance process

These technical considerations will be addressed through collaborative development, leveraging both the expertise within our community and lessons from implementations in other contexts.

Key Considerations and Open Questions

Several considerations will shape the specific implementation of our legislative consensus process:

Registration vs. Open Participation: The Optimism Fractal Council model requires explicit registration for council participation. ORPols might eliminate this requirement, allowing any respect holder to participate without prior registration. What implications does this have for governance dynamics?

Parameter Optimization: What are the optimal thresholds and time periods for our community? Should these parameters be adjusted based on proposal type or significance? How might we adapt these based on actual participation patterns?

Integration with Eden Town Hall: How tightly should we couple ORPols voting with Eden Town Hall discussions? Should certain proposals require discussion before entering the voting stage? How do we ensure meaningful deliberation while maintaining governance efficiency?

Notification Effectiveness: What notification approaches will be most effective for ensuring community awareness of proposals? How do we balance comprehensive notification with avoiding information overload?

Bootstrap Duration: How long should the bootstrap phase last before transitioning to full ORPols implementation? What respect accumulation threshold provides sufficient foundation for the new governance system?

Proposal Categories: Should different types of proposals follow different processes or parameters? For example, should fundamental governance changes require higher thresholds than operational decisions?

These questions will guide our ongoing development of ORPols, with initial choices representing starting points rather than final determinations. The system itself will provide the mechanism for refinement based on community experience and wisdom.

Conclusion: Building Democratic Infrastructure

The implementation of ORPols as our legislative consensus process represents a critical foundation for Eden Fractal Epoch 2. By establishing clear mechanisms for community decision-making that balance efficiency with democratic principles, we create the infrastructure for effective collective action while maintaining alignment with our core values.

This process draws on years of experimentation and refinement, synthesizing lessons from multiple approaches into a system that addresses common governance challenges. The phased implementation acknowledges both technical development needs and the importance of respect accumulation, ensuring a thoughtful transition rather than an abrupt shift.

As with all elements of our Epoch 2 implementation, the legislative consensus process will evolve through practical experience and community wisdom. The framework outlined here provides a starting point rather than a final determination—a foundation upon which we'll collaboratively build our governance infrastructure.

Through this careful development of our consensus processes, we strengthen Eden Fractal's ability to fulfill its mission of integrating fractal decision-making processes throughout society. By demonstrating effective democratic coordination within our own community, we create both the tools and examples that can inspire broader adoption of these principles.